Book 2 of the Eternal series

Chapter 14

Like Ashta, Roman, Riah, and Ray had traveled through the other realms, there was a considerable lapse in time. Time seemed to move much faster in the Simulation Realm than in the Magical Realm where Halondelle stood.

The two realms were in two completely different alternate universes wherein one realm’s time wasn’t as important as it was in the other. One day in the Magical Realm equaled one week in the Simulation Realm, so when Roman had finally returned home to Gale, Liam, and Chantelle, he had only been gone for a couple of days, but to him, it felt like it was much longer.

“Son, you have only been gone for a couple of days, and you said you got your memory back when you touched Ashta,” said Chantelle, as she looked at her son with wide eyes.

“Yeah, it did, but I don’t remember anything about being an Elemental Guardian,” he said.

Gale looked at him with interest as he put his hand to his chin.

“I wonder if that was Bestol’s and Merthies’s plan all along. To make you four forget who you are,” he said, and Liam looked at his brother thoughtfully.

“But they have to know about the sanctuary. You can’t just make the four Elemental Guardians forget who they are and expect them to stay that way,” he said.

Gale, Roman, and Chantelle looked at Liam in question.

“Well, they aren’t very bright. They didn’t even know that you can only summon the gods at dawn,” Chantelle said, and Gale and Liam looked at each other as they thought for a moment.

“True,” said Liam, and then they looked at Roman.

“Let’s head down to the Guardian Sanctuary and see if the spirit of the Guardian of Air can jog your memory,” Gale said, and Roman looked at him nervously.

“It’s alright, son. You will understand everything in a few moments,” said Chantelle soothingly, and Roman swallowed as he nodded.

“You have no reason to be nervous. We are all here right beside you,” said Liam, and Gale led them to the stairs underneath the castle.

After reaching the bottom of the stone staircase, Gale, Liam, and Chantelle led Roman to a room with four statues in it. He noticed the four statues looked like him, Ashta, Riah, and Ray. Amazingly, each of the four elements flowed down the wall behind each sculpture, and each statue had a short stone pillar in front of them with its unique symbol engraved on the flat top.

Uneasily, Roman swallowed, and he looked at Gale.

“The four Elemental Guardians. You, Ashta, Riah, and Ray. You four were chosen by the gods to protect the realms and the human world from the evil that threatens our land,” he explained, and Roman only nodded.

“Now, go stand by your statue and place your hands on the pillar,” instructed Liam, and Roman nodded as he blew out a breath.

Cautiously, Roman walked over to the pillar, and then he looked up at his mother. Encouragingly, she nodded to him, and Roman looked down at the strange symbol engraved on the pillar. Slowly, he placed his hands on the cool, flat surface of the pillar.

At that moment, Roman was forced to look up at the ceiling as a powerful energy surged through his body. Uncomfortably, he yelled out in pain as his back felt like it was on fire, and many memories flooded his mind.

Quickly, he sucked in a breath as he felt his guardian powers return to him, and then the room filled with gray glowing light. After a moment, the light faded away, and Roman opened his eyes. He looked at Gale, Liam, and his mother with glowing gray eyes, and his silver rod appeared in his hands.

Breathing heavily, Roman looked down at his weapon, and then he smiled as he looked back up at them.

“Roman?” Chantelle asked, and Roman spun his weapon in his hands as he chuckled.

“Oh, wow. It feels good to be back,” he said, and Chantelle smiled at him.

“We are all glad to have you back, son,” said Liam, and Gale nodded.

“Now, it is time to bring the rest home,” said Roman as he walked over to them.

“What should we do?” asked Gale, and Roman thought for a moment.

“Maybe the gods can tell me how to get a message to them,” he suggested, and Gale looked at him seriously.

“Bestol and Mertheis have gone into that realm. How do you plan on getting there without them knowing?” asked Liam and Chantelle looked nervously at her son.

Conceded, Roman gave his mother a knowing look, and he snickered.

“Don’t worry so much. I can handle a few Underworld demons,” said Roman nonchalantly, and Chantelle looked at him thoughtfully.

“You have never dealt with these types of demons before. The prince of the Underworld is a very powerful creature, and you don’t know what he and Bestol are capable of,” she said.

Roman smirked at her.

“Actually, I have fought many demons from the Underworld when I used to fight in the ring. I defeated all of them,” he said, and she only reluctantly nodded.

“So, what is your plan?” asked Gale, and Roman straightened as he faced the king.

“The Garden of Eternity,” he said, and Gale and Liam looked at each other.

“Son, there are demons everywhere guarding the villagers’ houses and throughout the land. How are you going to get into the garden without them seeing you?” asked Gale, and Roman looked at him as he snickered.

“The same way I got into the castle without them seeing me. Super-speed. Plus, the garden is concealed from the public eye for privacy reasons,” he said matter-of-factly, and Chantelle looked at her son, impressed.

“Sounds like a plan,” said Liam, and everyone nodded.

“We need to get them home as soon as possible,” said Chantelle, and Roman, Gale, and Liam agreed.

After that, they all headed back up the stairs and into the throne room. Roman said he would be back a few moments later, and then he super-sped to the garden.

Swiftly, Roman passed the demons that stood in front of the small houses and saw a couple here and there walking the streets. Silently, he went into the garden and hid in its back as he watched for anyone who could have followed him.

Patiently, he wanted a few minutes, and then he looked around cautiously. He saw that he was completely sealed off from anyone’s view, and then he walked over to the Elemental Boulder in the center of the garden.

He pulled himself onto the large rock, and he began the elemental dance he and the others used countless times when they were summoned to the Spirit Realm. Roman closed his eyes at that moment, and the garden and Halondelle disappeared. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and he found himself in the Moon God’s spirit garden. Quickly, he made his rod appear as he looked around.

Everything was destroyed. The stone pillars had been knocked over, and the trees and flowers had been damaged by fire. However, there wasn’t anyone around, and he made his rod disappear.

“Hello?” he whispered, and he waited patiently for a response.

Suddenly, a green fairy appeared before him, and he noticed that she looked around with a nervous look on her face. Then, the fairy looked at him sadly.

“Demons have entered this realm, and they have killed a few of the gods and destroyed everything, but the rest of the gods are hiding, and we are doing everything we can to protect them. What are you doing here?”

Roman looked at her for a moment, and then his eyebrows shot down in anger.

“I need to know how to get the other guardians back home, so we can stop these two mongrels,” he whispered, and without a word, she fluttered to his ear.

“Just like how you came back. They have to die in that realm for the statues to release them from their hold, but you had better get out of here. If the demons find out you got away and are helping the others. He will stop them from leaving,” she whispered, and then she fluttered back in front of him.

“How would they be able to stop them?” he asked.

The fairy looked up at him with a set look on her face.

“I’m sorry, your highness, but you have to go,” she said, and she threw her tiny palm out at him.

“No, wait! How do I get a message to them?” he asked, and she looked at him as she sighed.

“Use the connection you have with them in the sanctuary. Stand in front of the statue of the guardian you want to come home, and concentrate,” she said, and then, with a flash of green light, Roman found himself back in the garden of Halondelle.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, and he made an annoyed face.

“Damn fairies,” he mumbled, and then he super-sped back to the castle.

“That didn’t take long,” said Liam as Roman appeared in the throne room.

“No, it didn’t,” said Roman, irritated, as he headed for the door.

“Where are you going? Did you find out how to get a message to the others?” asked Gale, and Roman stopped and turned back to him.

“Yeah, I will be down in the sanctuary,” he said, and Gale, Liam, and Chantelle nodded.

Roman walked into the sanctuary room, and he looked up at Ashta’s statue.

“Soon, you will be back home and in my arms, where you belong. I am not dead. I am just waiting for you to come home,” he said, and then he smiled at Riah’s statue.

“You, too. Even though you can be a real pain in the ass sometimes with your attitude, I can’t wait till you come home either. I still love you just the same, my beautiful friend,” he chuckled, and then he walked in front of Ray’s statue.

He figured his cousin would be the best candidate to tell the girls what they must do to come home if Ray did it. He thought it was best if he had brought his cousin home first.

“It’s time for you to come home, cous, and then we can work together to bring the girls back home,” he said, and then he touched the statue of Ray.

He bent his head and closed his eyes as he used his elemental powers to send a message to his cousin. Deep down, Roman hoped that this was going to work. Sometimes, fairies could be misleading because they have an art of twisting words, speaking half-truths, and sending you places you didn’t need to be.

Heavily, Roman sighed as he willed his power through the statue, and he thought about his cousin.